I want to have at least one kid one day. Although I’m more pro-day care than pro-nanny, preferences change. If a nanny lands on my payroll, I wouldn’t install a hidden camera – but I’d tell him or her that I had. That’s how you preempt a big problem:
“Sure hope you have a nice first day. Oh
and, full disclosure, just because I’m not here in the flesh it doesn’t mean
I’m not seeing it all. Don’t worry, all the equipment that’s set up is
completely unobtrusive. You’ll never guess where the lenses are located. Or how
many there are.”
I’d
have to double-check the legality of this one too, which shouldn’t be that great of a
challenge for someone with a bevy of brilliant attorneys in her camp.
[(Heart-)Breaking News: One of my lawyers won’t give me a solid answer re:
whether I can use the Cam for my most pressing concerns. I’m still waiting for
an expert opinion re: the imaginary Nanny Cam that may only have traction in my
imagination, like so much else does.]
I'm not a lawyer, but in my view this one is a no-brainer. Just install the nanny-cam and--importantly--do not tell the nanny. Most likely, you will be able to assess the person you hire with accuracy as a kind person, and nothing bad will ever happen. On the odd chance that something bad DOES happen, who is the judge going to blame? The nanny-cam installer or the nanny? I think the answer is self-evident: the nanny. It seems to me that a person has the right to install a camera in his/her own home.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we never had any trouble with our babysitters and the children are grown up I'd probably have cameras everywhere nowdays!
ReplyDeleteI would think, "your house, your rules", but I guess the laws in the USA aren't the same as ours. Make the nanny sign a pre-nup of sorts - agreeing to the prospect of being recorded.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you need to tell them about the nanny cam. I'm thinking of installing cameras to watch the dogs and I don't intend to tell them. :-)
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